Before your speak… shut up. We’re so quick to tell people who we are and where we come from, or in a haste to inform new acquaintances of the best parts of our entire being. However, what many people don’t realize that you just did that within 2.5 seconds of walking into the room. That’s right, I’m talking about what you wear and how you wear it. What you wear refers to the clothes that you have on your back, but how you wear it speaks to the confidence, attitude, aura (and many other words, that can be found on thesaurus.com at your own leisure) that you exude with your particular look.
This holds true in any arena, but especially in the business, banking and finance world where I have spent a majority of my career. In the investment bank, where money talks, it doesn’t matter if you have the financial prowess of Warren Buffet; if you don’t look the part, you don’t get the part. On the other hand, you can be a complete buffoon, but if you look the part (and have mastered the art of smoke and mirrors) then you’ll thrive. Unfortunately that’s human nature. I mean really, if you were an executive of a fortune 500 company, would you trust a guy in a wrinkled shirt, that looked like Prince's (the late artist formally known as..) with a stain from last night’s dim sum, a poorly fitted suit and scuffed shoes, with billions of dollars of your company’s assets? People trust other people that look like they know what they’re doing, which is why you owe it to yourself not to misrepresent who you are.
Think about it this way.. It’s Friday night, you’ve been working hard all week, and you’ve just received your bonus check, or clocked some major overtime, so you decide to treat yourself and your girlfriend. You say, hey babe, let’s go to that new restaurant on *fill in the blank* street, yeah the one that’s $100 a plate. You get dressed in your best blazer and slacks, and she has on that "come get me” dress and 8high heels. I mean baby girl is all the way on her tippy toes trying to look fine for you. You arrive at the restaurant and take your seat. The lights are dim and the music is right. All of a sudden you see a guy that looks slightly out of place, talking to some members of the staff in the restaurant. He’s dressed in blue jeans, or at least used to be blue, with black and brown dirt stains, a half tucked T shirt with sweat stains and oil slick on his face. So you think, what’s the maintenance man doing in here? Then the unthinkable happens, he walks into the kitchen and you realize, that’s not the maintenance man… It’s the Chef.
Would you still want to eat there? Probably not. Dress the part, it matters..
The mentality is this:
Suit up, even on days when I’m not facing off with a client
Exude confidence with what I’m wearing
Know your audience (no crazy colors or patterns for conservative audience, besides I said speak boldly, not loud as hell).
If you forget everything else I've said, remember this never failing, go to combo, that's appropriate for a wedding, work, or worship service.
Suit: Navy blue or Charcoal Gray
Shirt: White with a spread collar
Pocket Square: White cotton, folded straight across the top of the pocket
Neck tie: Red (this color will make the whole thing pop!)
Belt and Shoes: Cognac brown (the belt always matches the shoes!)
And above all else; remember to Shut Up... and Speak Boldly!
Stay SUITABULL guys